Virtual Reality Takes People With Dementia Down Memory Lane

The U.K.-based Wayback project seeks to trigger memories and emotions in people with dementia and help them re-engage with relatives and caregivers using virtual reality (VR), reports Reuters . Subjects use a portable VR headset to watch films, such as a re-creation of a street party held to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953. A director of one British senior community says the film evoked detailed recollections in those who viewed it. "It was just amazing to see them so happy," she notes. Dementia UK's Dr. Karen Harrison-Dening thinks VR technology can help people with dementia, although the technology needs to be used cautiously. "For instance, some people with dementia experience what are called misperceptions," she says. "This can lead to confusion over which images are 'real' or not, and may prove unsettling for the person."